The Elusive "Middle"
How many of us are extremists? By definition (number 3) it can't be many. So why does the majority of the informed public - those who supposedly comprise the "middle" - have such a hard time defining it? It's because in order to realize the middle of something, we have to know where its outer edges are. Makes sense.
But here's the trap: Those of us who engage in healthy political discourse tend to get caught up in labeling people to one extreme or the other. We need those outer boundaries to define where we fall into place, but when we talk about others we tend to greatly exaggerate where they fall.
So let's lay down a couple of specifics, and we'll try not to exaggerate. George Bush is an extremist in a few ways. As a social extremist, he abhors homosexuality to such a degree that he supports an amendment to the US Constitution to try and squash it. As a military extremist,evidenced through his actions, he sees the war on terror as black and white - no nuance or color at all. This is why it can never be won as it stands today. The United States cannot win this "war" alone. We cannot win it with England. We cannot win it with England and Australia. We cannot win it with England, Australia, and even Saudi Arabia. We cannot win it with France and Germany. We need to win it by winning over the entire middle east. The only way that to win over the entire middle east is to get the entire rest of the world to put enormous pressure on them. How can we unify the world in such a way if our leader goes around flicking people off and appointing extremists to important diplomatic posts and judgeships?
The sentiment that I am driving at is in order to come up with an agreement on what makes up the middle, we have to... come up with an agreement. We need consensus. Many presidents have made questionable moves over the course of our history and many have presided over a nation divided. But not since Lincoln and the civil war has the nation been this divided, and the world is feeling that delta. Something's got to give.
posted by Smorgasbord @ 1:51 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Hi Smorg,
I somewhat agree with what you're saying, but keep in mind that the middle east wants one thing--and they admit this. They want Israel out of there and all Jews dead. Can we simply withdraw our support of Israel and let the middle east destroy them? A major reason the Muslim middle east hates us is because we do arm Israel, (first runner up is that the see us as too promiscuous--for example, they think that all homosexuals should be killed).
Anyhow, I see little hope in winning over the middle east, but I guess we can always try. But the only thing that would appease them I think is to withdraw from Israel, and become as religiously fanatical and "upright" as they are.
Just a thought.
-Jack
It's not easy, that's for sure. I don't claim to have all the answers, but every strategy book ever written about fighting what looks like a losing battle (in war, in business, within yourself, etc.) talks about thinking outside the box to get the direction shifted.
We've been trying this strong arm technique in the middle east for decades and it hasn't gotten us anywhere. Maybe Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, if it goes well, will be a positive sign to the Muslim "middle" (not the fanatics) that the west is trying to work with them. Who knows?
One thing's for sure, this war in Iraq is a hell of a long shot.
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